The battle

The moment Eclipse Mode fully awakened, Hugo wasted no time.

With a single burst of cosmic energy, he launched himself into the sky, his body leaving behind a streak of red and blue light.

Xander's glowing purple eye widened as he barely had time to react—

Hugo struck first.

BOOM!

A powerful shockwave erupted as Hugo's first attack crashed into Xander's blade, sending a pulse of energy through the battlefield. Xander skidded back, his boots digging into the shattered ground, his grip on Vengeance tightening.

For the first time since the battle began—Xander looked surprised.

Then, Hugo didn't stop.

He shot forward again.

A blur of crimson and azure light, fast—too fast.

Xander raised Vengeance instinctively, just in time for Hugo to strike again from above.

CLANG!

The force of the impact sent Xander flying back, his corrupted arm pulsing violently as he barely managed to recover mid-air.

Hugo hovered in the sky, his dual-colored aura glowing brilliantly against the eclipse behind him. His red and blue eyes locked onto Xander, determination burning in his gaze.

"You're not the only one who can change the battlefield," Hugo said, his voice steady.

Xander narrowed his eyes. Then—he smirked.

"Interesting," Xander mused, his voice laced with something almost excited. "I didn't expect you to reach this form."

Hugo clenched his fists, cosmic energy crackling around him. "You should've."

Xander chuckled. "Perhaps."

Then—he lifted Vengeance toward the sky.

"Let's see if it's enough."

BOOM!

In an instant, Xander launched himself into the sky, his corrupted Arcana twisting the air around him. He met Hugo mid-air, and their blades collided once more, sending shockwaves through the clouds.

The entire sky trembled.

Below, Eclipse Zero watched in awe as the two warriors battled above them, two streaks of light and darkness clashing again and again.

Nathan's eyes were wide. "They're fighting in the sky—they're literally fighting in the sky!"

Darius whistled. "Never seen that before."

Lena smirked. "That's because there's never been a battle like this before."

Ethan crossed his arms. "This is what happens when two legends collide."

Stella, still gripping the harmonica, kept her eyes on Hugo. Her heart pounded in her chest, but she refused to look away.

He was winning.

For the first time, Hugo wasn't being pushed back.

He was pushing forward.

Hugo and Xander moved faster than the eye could track, their strikes causing distortions in the sky itself.

Hugo dashed upward, flipping mid-air before bringing Cosmos down in a heavy arc.

Xander raised Vengeance, blocking the strike—

But the force sent him plummeting downward.

He crashed through the sky, only barely stopping himself before hitting the ground. He growled, his corrupted left arm trembling as dark tendrils continued spreading across his body.

Hugo remained above him, hovering effortlessly.

Xander wiped the corner of his mouth, his purple eye flickering. "Tch. You're not holding back anymore."

Hugo's red and blue gaze burned.

"No."

Xander tilted his head, then—he grinned.

"Good."

Then, his corrupted Arcana flared violently, the purple glow in his eye intensifying.

The sky darkened further.

And the battle was far from over.

The sky trembled as Hugo and Xander clashed again and again, their Cosmic Swords igniting the heavens with blinding light and suffocating darkness.

Each strike sent shockwaves rippling across the sky, shaking the very air as their battle reached unimaginable speeds.

BOOM!

Hugo twisted mid-air, flipping over Xander's gravitational slash, before countering with a swift, arcing crescent strike from Cosmos. Xander parried, but the impact sent cracks through space itself, the force so overwhelming that even the clouds were torn apart.

Hugo gritted his teeth, his mind racing.

Even with Eclipse Mode fully reawakened, even with his newfound power, Xander was still matching him blow for blow.

Then—Xander smirked.

And he taunted him.

"You can't beat me alone, Hugo."

Hugo's eyes widened.

Xander grinned, his corrupted left hand pulsating with black Arcana, the tendrils creeping further up his chest. His glowing purple eye flickered with dark amusement.

"You know it too, don't you?" Xander continued, voice filled with confidence. "No matter how strong you've become, you're still just one man."

His words hit like a knife.

Hugo had always fought alone.

Even as the Hero of the Eclipse, even during the war, he had always relied on his own strength.

But—

What if he didn't have to?

An idea sparked in Hugo's mind.

His dual-colored eyes burned, and his grip on Cosmos tightened.

"…You're right, Xander," Hugo admitted, his smirk returning.

Xander's grin faltered slightly. "Huh?"

Hugo raised Cosmos high above his head, its energy surging as he gathered both Luna and Corona's power into a single moment.

Then—he spoke the words that changed everything.

"Twin Overdrive."

A blinding explosion of gold and blue Arcana burst outward, the sheer intensity of the technique causing space itself to warp violently around them.

Then—

Hugo split.

Before Xander's shocked eyes, Hugo's form divided into two, creating two perfect copies of himself—each carrying one half of his power.

The first Hugo's entire body shimmered in deep blue, his energy fluid and elegant—Luna Mode.

The second Hugo burned with golden fire, his presence overwhelming and radiant—Corona Mode.

Xander's smirk vanished.

"What—?!"

The Twin Hugos moved instantly.

Luna Hugo shot forward first, his movements weightless, phasing through space as if reality itself bent around him. He dashed past Xander, his blade slicing through the air in a ghostly arc.

Before Xander could react, Corona Hugo followed.

His speed was blinding, his body a streak of golden fire as he struck from the opposite side.

CLANG!

BOOM!

The two Hugos moved in perfect synchronization, their strikes flowing seamlessly—one striking with absolute force, the other phasing through attacks to land precision counters.

For the first time in their battle—Xander was struggling to keep up.

"Tch—" Xander growled, his corrupted Arcana pulsing violently. He twisted mid-air, attempting to counter both attacks at once, but the Twin Hugos were relentless.

Left—Luna Hugo struck with a ghostly afterimage, feinting before slashing from another angle.

Right—Corona Hugo followed up immediately, delivering a brutal counter-blow.

CLANG!

BOOM!

Xander skidded backward, his grip on Vengeance trembling. His corrupted left arm pulsated wildly, the tendrils of darkness creeping even further, the distortion around him growing unstable.

His glowing purple eye flickered in disbelief.

"This... this is impossible!" Xander snarled. "You shouldn't be able to—"

Hugo's Twin Forms stopped in mid-air, hovering above him, their cosmic energy burning at its peak.

Then, in perfect unison, they spoke.

"You said I couldn't beat you alone."

"So I won't."

The Twin Hugos raised their swords at the same time.

Luna Hugo's blade shimmered with pure celestial blue, its power smooth and controlled.

Corona Hugo's blade burned like a raging sun, its energy unstable and overwhelming.

Together—

They combined their techniques.

"STRONG CORONA!"

"LUNA BREAK!"

A massive surge of energy erupted from their blades, spiraling into a perfect fusion of light and shadow.

A colossal crescent wave of gold and blue surged downward, warping space itself as it crashed toward Xander with unstoppable force.

Xander's eyes widened in realization.

"NO—!"

BOOOOOOOM!

The entire sky exploded with energy as the attack collided. A shockwave so massive erupted that the very clouds parted, revealing the full brilliance of the eclipse above them.

The land trembled, the wind howled, and the stars themselves seemed to flicker from the sheer force of the attack.

As the blinding light faded, Xander was nowhere to be seen.

The battlefield fell silent.

Eclipse Zero stood frozen, their eyes wide in awe.

Nathan's mouth hung open. "D-Did Hugo just—split in two?!"

Lena exhaled sharply. "I… I didn't even know he could do that."

Ethan, stunned, let out a breathless laugh. "That was… the craziest thing I've ever seen."

Darius grinned. "Damn. Okay, Boss… you win."

Iris, arms still crossed, smirked. "Alright, that was pretty hot."

Stella, however, wasn't looking at them.

Her golden eyes were locked onto Hugo, who had now remerged into a single form, his body still glowing faintly from Eclipse Mode.

Hugo, breathing heavily, slowly lowered Cosmos.

His expression was unreadable.

Because despite everything…

He knew.

Xander wasn't dead.

And as the dust finally settled, a deep laughter echoed from the void—

A laughter that was both amused… and furious.

From the shattered space, a single figure emerged.

And Xander still stood.

The battlefield trembled.

The sky, once serene beneath the celestial eclipse, had become a warzone of raw, unfiltered power. Hugo and Xander stood opposite each other, their final clash imminent.

Hugo, having fused back into Eclipse Mode, stood firm, his red and blue aura pulsating like a dying star, burning with both the radiance of the sun and the mystery of the moon. Cosmos shimmered in his grasp, humming with anticipation.

On the other side, Xander's form had reached the peak of corruption.

The entire left side of his body, from his fingertips to his chest, had been consumed by blackened Arcana, his right eye glowing fiercely with an eerie purple flame. Vengeance in his grasp distorted reality itself, black tendrils warping the space around him.

Xander exhaled sharply, rolling his shoulders. His smirk was still there—but it was different now.

There was no more amusement.

No more mockery.

Only the pure, burning desire to end this battle.

"Enough," Xander muttered. His corrupted hand twitched, as if Vengeance itself was urging him forward. "Let's end this, Hugo."

Hugo's dual-colored eyes locked onto him.

"Agreed."

And then—

They both unleashed their strongest techniques.

Xander raised Vengeance high, the blade vibrating violently as black tendrils of Arcana wrapped around it. His body shook as the gravity around him collapsed inward, creating a distortion field so powerful that space itself cracked.

His corrupted purple eye burned brighter than ever.

"VOLTRA DISTORTION!"

A massive wave of dark gravitational force exploded outward, bending reality as it spread, twisting the battlefield into a chaotic void of collapsing energy. The stars above flickered, pulled by the overwhelming force, and the very ground beneath them cracked apart.

Eclipse Zero, still watching from below, struggled to remain standing.

Nathan shielded his face from the sheer force. "WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!"

Lena gritted her teeth, eyes wide. "He's warping reality itself!"

Ethan, usually composed, cursed under his breath. "This isn't just power… this is destruction itself."

Darius clenched his fists. "Boss… you better end this!"

Stella, watching the battle unfold, gripped the harmonica tightly. "Hugo… you can do this."

But Hugo was unfazed.

He took a slow breath, calming himself amidst the chaos.

Then, his entire aura condensed.

The swirling energy of Eclipse Mode, the combined force of Luna and Corona, merged into a single point.

His grip on Cosmos tightened.

His stance shifted.

And then—

Hugo focused everything he had.

All of his Arcana.

All of his strength.

All of his will.

A single blade of pure cosmic light formed around Cosmos, growing larger than anything he had summoned before.

The air shook violently as the sheer pressure of his attack pushed back against Xander's distortion field.

Then, Hugo's voice rang out—

"ECLIPSE CALIBUR!"

With one final burst of power, Hugo swung Cosmos forward.

A colossal crescent of radiant energy erupted from his blade, burning with the brilliance of the sun and the serenity of the moon, shattering through space itself.

And then—it collided with Voltra Distortion.

BOOOOOOOM!

The moment the two attacks met, the world turned white.

A devastating shockwave erupted outward, consuming everything in its path. The sheer force of the collision bent reality itself, sending ripples through the sky, the eclipse above flickering wildly.

The ground beneath them collapsed, sending debris flying in every direction. The village trembled. The air screamed.

The entire battlefield was consumed in chaos.

Hugo and Xander pushed forward, both refusing to yield.

Xander roared, his corrupted form twisting further, the black Arcana tendrils lashing out, trying to overpower Hugo's light.

Hugo gritted his teeth, pushing everything he had left into the strike.

He wouldn't lose.

Not this time.

And then—

CRACK!

A splitting sound echoed through the void.

And suddenly—Xander's Voltra Distortion wavered.

His corrupted left arm began to crack apart, the tendrils of black Arcana shattering under the force of Eclipse Calibur.

His glowing purple eye flickered.

"No…"

Then—

BOOOOOM!

The explosion erupted outward, and Xander was engulfed in the light.

The battlefield was silent.

The sky, once chaotic and distorted, was still.

The eclipse, now fully aligned, cast its final celestial glow over the land before beginning to shift once more.

As the dust finally settled, Hugo remained standing.

His breath was ragged, his body aching, but he was still on his feet.

Cosmos hummed softly, its energy finally stabilizing.

And in front of him—

Xander lay on the ground, motionless.

His body was no longer pulsing with corrupted Arcana. The black tendrils that had once consumed his arm had shattered completely, leaving behind only scars of what once was.

His breathing was shallow, but he was alive.

Hugo exhaled slowly, lowering Cosmos.

It was over.

For now.

The moment the battle ended, Eclipse Zero rushed forward.

Nathan, out of breath, skidded to a stop. "HOLY—HE ACTUALLY WON!"

Lena exhaled sharply, shaking her head. "Damn, Hugo…"

Ethan chuckled. "Not gonna lie. That was one hell of a fight."

Darius grinned, slapping Hugo on the back. "Boss, you gotta teach me that one."

Hugo smirked tiredly. "You're not ready, big guy."

Stella, however, didn't speak.

Instead, she stepped forward—and without hesitation, wrapped her arms around Hugo.

For a brief moment, Hugo was caught off guard.

Then, slowly, he returned the embrace.

Iris smirked from the side. "Took her long enough."

From the ground, Xander stirred.

Hugo turned, his expression unreadable.

Xander, his breathing still shallow, opened his eyes. His corruption was gone, but his defiant smirk remained.

"…You really are something else, Hugo," Xander muttered.

Hugo crossed his arms. "Are you done?"

Xander chuckled weakly. "For now."

He slowly sat up, his body trembling, but he wasn't defeated.

His glowing purple eye had faded, but in its place, a new fire burned.

And then—Xander grinned.

"I'll be seeing you again, Hugo."

And with that—he vanished into the shadows.